Fonseka’s release : much against wishes of Rajapakses –tug of war within
Sunday 20 of May 2012
(Lanka-e-News-20.May.2012,3.30PM) The dispute that has erupted within the Rajapakse family over Fonseka’s release is supposedly legal , according to reports reaching Lanka e news. It is being argued , the appeal within the appeal filed by Fonseka against the white flag verdict shall be withdrawn. The President is now going on telling at various places that it is the Ministers who wanted Fonseka to be jailed , and now themselves are telling to release him.
The President now says , Gotabaya is exerting pressure on him to release Fonseka. The pro MaRa
unscrupulous media is giving top publicity to this. Meanwhile the Ministers are furious over the double tongued utterances , and are berating the Rajapakses in the choicest language. They say , after jailing Fonseka to pay off the Rajapakse bitter grudges and due to their venoms and vengeances , it is being attempted to blame it on the Ministers. A Minister who spoke to Lanka e news questioned , whether it is the Ministers or one of the Rajapakses , Gotabaya who told the BBC ‘ I will hang him’ in a most vituperative tone.?
The Cabinet which approved the release of Fonseka without any issue , and had been provoked by the Rajapakse false announcements had asked to show the Cabinet approval that was given as alleged by the Rajapakses to put Fonseka in jail.
It is learnt that, yesterday , it is Gotabaya who had opposed the release of Fonseka. The grounds cited in support of this brought forward via the President’s legal advisor Mohan Peiris PC , the former Attorney general, (AG) had been, the appeals filed by Fonseka against the verdicts of the first military court , the second military court and the white flag case . It is argued that the President cannot grant a pardon until these appeals are withdrawn. When the present AG had been asked for her opinion , she had said , there isn’t anything like that in the constitution. Her view had been , if the President decides to give a pardon following a verdict of the court , the appeal thereto also automatically loses validity.
However Mohan Peiris who is a ‘business deal partner’ of Gotabaya had insisted and presented legal arguments that until the appeals are withdrawn , the Presidential pardon cannot be granted . In any event, a Govt. ought to take instructions from the AG, and not from a former AG irrespective of what business deals (fair or foul) Gotabaya has with him.
Though most media were anticipating that the President would make an announcement on Fonseka’s release at yesterday’s (19) war victory anniversary celebrations , surprisingly , he did not utter a word in that regard. It was reported in the newspaper yesterday 19th of Tiran Alles, the mediator in this matter that the President will be signing the papers releasing Fonseka at noon .
It is to be noted that until this point of time even as this article is being written , Fonseka’s release had not been finalized . A secret discussion is in progress at the Temple Trees in this connection , it is learnt. MaRa was also to leave for Qatar yesterday night.
Political analysts are of the view that ,it can be known in the next few weeks whether there is a conspiracy again within the Rajapakses against the release of Fonseka after the President desperately trying to release him before the US discussions on the 18th and make a grand self boosting display exploiting it at the discussions.
Sunday 20 of May 2012
(Lanka-e-News-20.May.2012,3.30PM) The dispute that has erupted within the Rajapakse family over Fonseka’s release is supposedly legal , according to reports reaching Lanka e news. It is being argued , the appeal within the appeal filed by Fonseka against the white flag verdict shall be withdrawn. The President is now going on telling at various places that it is the Ministers who wanted Fonseka to be jailed , and now themselves are telling to release him. The President now says , Gotabaya is exerting pressure on him to release Fonseka. The pro MaRa
unscrupulous media is giving top publicity to this. Meanwhile the Ministers are furious over the double tongued utterances , and are berating the Rajapakses in the choicest language. They say , after jailing Fonseka to pay off the Rajapakse bitter grudges and due to their venoms and vengeances , it is being attempted to blame it on the Ministers. A Minister who spoke to Lanka e news questioned , whether it is the Ministers or one of the Rajapakses , Gotabaya who told the BBC ‘ I will hang him’ in a most vituperative tone.?
The Cabinet which approved the release of Fonseka without any issue , and had been provoked by the Rajapakse false announcements had asked to show the Cabinet approval that was given as alleged by the Rajapakses to put Fonseka in jail.
It is learnt that, yesterday , it is Gotabaya who had opposed the release of Fonseka. The grounds cited in support of this brought forward via the President’s legal advisor Mohan Peiris PC , the former Attorney general, (AG) had been, the appeals filed by Fonseka against the verdicts of the first military court , the second military court and the white flag case . It is argued that the President cannot grant a pardon until these appeals are withdrawn. When the present AG had been asked for her opinion , she had said , there isn’t anything like that in the constitution. Her view had been , if the President decides to give a pardon following a verdict of the court , the appeal thereto also automatically loses validity.
However Mohan Peiris who is a ‘business deal partner’ of Gotabaya had insisted and presented legal arguments that until the appeals are withdrawn , the Presidential pardon cannot be granted . In any event, a Govt. ought to take instructions from the AG, and not from a former AG irrespective of what business deals (fair or foul) Gotabaya has with him.
Though most media were anticipating that the President would make an announcement on Fonseka’s release at yesterday’s (19) war victory anniversary celebrations , surprisingly , he did not utter a word in that regard. It was reported in the newspaper yesterday 19th of Tiran Alles, the mediator in this matter that the President will be signing the papers releasing Fonseka at noon .
It is to be noted that until this point of time even as this article is being written , Fonseka’s release had not been finalized . A secret discussion is in progress at the Temple Trees in this connection , it is learnt. MaRa was also to leave for Qatar yesterday night.
Political analysts are of the view that ,it can be known in the next few weeks whether there is a conspiracy again within the Rajapakses against the release of Fonseka after the President desperately trying to release him before the US discussions on the 18th and make a grand self boosting display exploiting it at the discussions.
